Restless Soul: Willie Burns interviewed

You probably know William T. Burnett best as Willie Burns. Or perhaps DJ Speculator, or Grackle, or even Black Deer. It all depends on which slice of his expansive one-man universe you're tuned into. While many producers and DJs trumpet their supposedly eclectic tastes and listening habits with an enthusiasm not necessarily reflected in substance, Burns digs crates like his life depends on it. In a way, as a full-time resident of relentless New York City and a full-time employee of Brooklyn's second-hand store The Thing, it does.

Although Burns is an adept club DJ, his label – WT Records – regularly veers away to the edge of the dancefloor before pulling you back in again. With Ex Vivian, Burnett assisted in producing a lo-fi folk record that recalls Mazzy Star, while the likes of the DJ Muscle series deliver charges of African rhythm and acid in equal measure.

"I think it goes back to one principle. There is good music and bad music. Or maybe I should say music I like or don't like. I just try to put out stuff I like. Simple as that," says Burns, acknowledging that WT Records is very much a personal endeavour. "I grew up listening to all types of music. Punk, gangster rap, new wave and even country. Music is music, and my work at The Thing is just an extension of that. I just listen to what I don't know. I think any label should have a sound and vision. If there is one person in charge then it's pretty easy to stay on course... even if you don't know what that course is."

As well as maintaining his own label as both a vinyl and digital endeavour, Burnett has always been keen to ensure that WT Records remains a showcase for emerging and undiscovered talent rather than his own productions. In the past few years alone, Willie Burns material has instead landed in original or remix form on labels as diverse as The Trilogy Tapes, Crème Organization and Phantasy; a go-to for those seeking offbeat work that can still slay a dance floor. Using the taste of other label bosses may be a good indicator of quality, but for a man regularly consuming the amount of music Burnett does, the question of quality control always looms large. At what point is a Willie Burns production ready for pressing?

"I'm really not sure. I think I'm even starting to doubt my process, or at least overthink it," admits Burnett, with typical honesty. "I try to first find something I like, then I kind of check the surroundings and, if it feels good, then I just do it. I'm going slower lately to make sure I don't put out anything I don't like. There are so many labels and new records that shouldn't even be pressed these days. I don't want to add more to the pile."

An inspiring internet clip recently saw Burnett jamming away on a relatively ancient SP-12, producing a potentially certified house anthem in just a few moments, while utilising a variety of recently unearthed samples from his days digging. But despite his individual production prowess, Burnett is also a keen collaborator, simply because working together "is just more fun." He is an occasional but long-standing collaborator with Legowelt, the Dutch producer and DJ perhaps most known for far reaching, alternative house of a rawer nature. He, incidentally, is one of the few people with more aliases than Burnett himself. "He did everything. I just sat on the couch," Burnett earnestly reveals when pressed for an insight into their shared creative process.

Burnett first met Legowelt, aka Danny Wolfers, around the turn of the millennium, when he assisted in booking tours throughout the US for Wolfers and his gang of squat punks. It's perhaps his years on the fringes of alternative culture that contribute to his easy demeanour and attitude. He'll be joined at his upcoming date at Soup Kitchen by Crème Organization's DJ TLR, who is responsible for some of Burnett's first releases, as Galaxy Toobin'. Musically, the pair make strong bedfellows, together fitting within the well-documented and perhaps somewhat fabricated world of 'outsider house'; uneasily described as personality driven and comparatively lo-fi dance music that exists a world away from the stabbing, relentless sheen of current mainstream club music. It's a position achieved admirably, without radically altering anything in terms of approach or vision.

"I've known Jeroen (TLR) through the highs and lows, and yeah, since it's a bit of a high now, may as well go to where the market demands and make a few bucks," Burnett muses. "I think if you do something long enough and you care about it, it's supposed to work itself out. And that seems to be happening for my homeboy too."

Burnett might be refreshingly unambitious in the traditional sense of a modern DJ, but his own work is regularly thrilling in its individualism. As Black Deer, for LIES and Emotional Response, he has blended a surprisingly raw folk influence with jackin' Chicago vibes and melancholy-tinged soundscapes with enviable ease. His latest EP as Willie Burns, Tab of Acid, is already a sell out on London's much feted Trilogy Tapes imprint. And his weekly show on Brooklyn's Newtown Radio offers a unique glimpse into his ever-expanding record collection, as well as a good regular gig for a reluctant traveller in his ultra laid-back style. It's a rampant schedule, and Burnett has even forfeited his long-time job as a swimming instructor to keep up, focusing on a new studio and new gear.

But it's within the borderline-mythical environment of The Thing in which Burnett seems most at ease; as well as records, the store takes second-hand everything. He has said in the past it's possible to envision an item and for a good citizen to bring it in at his demand. How has he tapped into the quasi-mystic powers of this unassuming local store?

"Are you asking me if I have special powers? If so, the answer is yes. And I'm not elaborating," jokes Burnett. "But the truth is, it's a record graveyard. It's where records go to die. Sometimes they come back to life."